the equilibrium of madness
by oh my fading heart
Summary: Because she lives in a cruel world full of secrets, sinners, and lies. — Ichigo, Orihime.


**—a/n:** i decided to make another multi-chapter story. i really like the idea, so i hope it turns out well. thanks to _from here to the moon_ (maggie-chan!) for beta-ing. this was supposed to be a little more darker and mysterious than my other story, then i realized i can't write anything meaningful for shit. (¬_¬) enjoy anyways.

p.s. expect coarse language, loads of violence, and a sex scene or two in this fanfic. just a warning for all the prudes out there. have fun reading. (^_^)

(as always, disclaimed.)

* * *

_._

_._

_"Can you hear my_ _screams?  
__They are calling for you.  
__And for you, only."_

.

.

Nowhere was safe from their bickering.

This was the daunting realization Inoue Orihime came to when her parents' voices violently cut through the walls and into her subconscious. It snapped her from her dreaming state, causing her to blink back into reality. Orihime released a long breath before untangling herself from the mess of rough sheets and crawling out of bed. Slowly, she trudged towards the cacophony emanating from the other side of the bedroom door.

Orihime poked her head out of the cracked opening, revealing two silhouette-like figures throwing angry shouts at one another like fists. The couple's bickering intensified, yet Orihime could not make out of what they were arguing about. All she could distinguish was their hatred-filled faces under the dim, fluorescent lights hanging above.

The dark-lit room was filled with glowers and hisses; the two shoved each other, arms flailing about. Her father whispered something to her mother, his face hard and eyes cold, the same expression that made Orihime tremble in fear. Instantly, saliva escaped her mother's mouth and directly onto her father's face.

Then, a sharp, resounding sound was made.

Orihime had become relatively used to the noises and screams. They melded into her like oxygen, but there was always one point that could break her clean. It was when he gained the upper hand, such a hand Orihime was terrified of being in the presence of_._

Startled, a faint cry escaped Orihime's lips as goosebumps danced on her body. Instantly, she covered her mouth with her tiny hands, but it was_ too late._

Slowly, her father shifted his head towards the door, where Orihime shook in terror, as he eyed her in disgust and hate. She glanced at her mother, who lied motionlessly on the floor as blood trickled down her pale, porcelain face, before reverting her eyes at him. Orihime parted her trembling, dry lips, yet nothing escaped. He hastily started to move forward to Orihime, and it's like she couldn't move, she couldn't speak, she couldn't_ scream._

In a swift second, she was pinned against the wall.

Orihime's nose scrunched after inhaling the fowl scent of sake from her father's breath. Her tiny feet dangled frantically in the air while she tried to fight against her father's rough hands around her neck. His grip grew tighter and tighter as he yelled obscene words at her. She tried to scream, to move, to _escape_, but she couldn't; he was much stronger than she.

The pain was unbearable, and she was losing the ability to breath. The path of her lungs to her mouth was suddenly cut off by her father's hands. Her vision began to blur, her heart began to gave out, and her will began to_ fade_. She was in a haze before noticing the mysterious subject behind the two.

There, a shadow lurked towards them.

Orihime's eyes widened. Desperately, she tried to scream to warn her father, but nothing escaped her mouth other than the sound of her soft, terse breaths. Her father was oblivious to her warning and continued to tightly hug his hands around her fragile neck. The shadow came closer and closer, penetrating the air between the them.

And when it was close enough, she realized that the shadow belonged to the one who she held dearest to her heart.

_Inoue Sora._

His eyes were dull, emotionless, as if he was _possessed_. In terror, Orihime watched as he slowly raised his arm skyward. Her eyes bulged when she realized the the streak of silver in his hands was a sword. With swift force, Sora brought his arm down**—**

and cut through the shoulder of his father.

Instantly, her father screamed in sudden pain as he grabbed his shoulder, freeing Orihime from his grasp. Orihime took in deep, heavy breaths, allowing endless amounts of oxygen into her fragile body. Blood spewed from her father's shoulder and landed everywhere, staining the pure white carpets, walls, furniture, and her.

Before he snapped his head around, he was sliced once more in the center of his body before falling limply onto the floor, motionless, as the warm, crimson liquid poured out of his large wound.

Slowly and steadily, Orihime walked away from her father's body and leaned the wall. Breathing steadily, she glanced at below, seeing herself covered in dark, red blood. Her frail body began trembling uncontrollably at the horrific sight. Anxiously, she moved her bright hazel eyes to the shadow that was her own brother. Their gazes locked before Sora raised the blade once more.

Orihime's eyes widened and she felt all her recovering supply of oxygen knocked out of her lungs. She tightly shut her eyes as she cried, cried, _cried_. Yet, instead of hearing the howl of the blade heading her way, she heard her brother's soft, _soft_ voice:

_"I will always protect you."_

Suddenly, Orihime's eyes shot open and she stared at him with glistening tears. Her thundering heart nearly stopped when he gazed identically at her before a stray tear rolled from the rim of his eyes and down his blood stained cheeks. Sora flashed his sister one last weak smile before closing his eyes**—**

and plunged the sword into himself.

Now Orihime was able to scream. A sorrow-filled sound slipped past her lips as she watched the only person she loved so much, _so, so, so _much fall onto the ground with a harsh clashing sound of the sword.

Instantly, Orihime scrambled onto her feet, running to her brother's side which soaked in blood, blood, and _blood_. Vigorously she shook her brother, hoping for a sound, for a movement to prove her fear wrong.

"Onii-chan, wake up!" She demanded, shaking the limp body as warm, salty droplets escaped her eyes. It was all too much for her, so much. "Please, please, please!"

Finally, she gave up. Her small, blood-covered hands left his body and fell to her trembling sides. Her head began to spin, her lungs burned from lack of oxygen, her heart was beating rapidly. She felt flushed, from her face, throughout her body. The ghost of her brother's voice whispered in her ear over and over again, and more tears poured when she realized that he was gone. _Forever._

Suddenly, Orihime felt all the air in her lungs leave her body when her fingers brushed against the sword lying next to her. She was too focused on her deceased brother to notice it.

Slowly, Orihime carefully picked up the sword by the dull handle. She examined the item closely, from the sharp tip to the blood-covered stains splattered over the detailing. It seemed to be an ordinary sword, with nothing special about it. Yet, her eyes nearly bulge when an ominous black shadow escaped from the blade.

And, for the slightest reason, it felt as if she was in the presence of her brother again, as if he was transformed into the spirit of the sword, still watching over her. So there, covered in blood on the floor, Orihime made a promise to her brother, the sword, that she would always protect others in danger.

And she kept that promise ever since.

* * *

**the equilibrium of madness  
**one**  
**.

.

_"I will always protect you."_

.

.

Thick, auburn hair falling carelessly over her shoulders, Inoue Orihime quickly makes her way through the school halls and to her next destination. The skirt she wears unintentionally swish with her movements, revealing soft, ivory skin hiding under the piece of clothing. Her bubbly expression grabs the attention of the other students in the hallway, some in admiration and others in envy.

One student, in particular, is Asano Keigo who gushes when she walks by, "Ah... Orihime-chan is looking cuter than usual~! Don't you think so, Ichigo? Huh?"

The fiery redhead rolls his dark, amber eyes. "Tch."

"No need to be so _snooty_ about it~," Keigo whines, his face contorted when he pronounces the word "snooty." Kurosaki Ichigo emits a long breath, slightly fighting off a smirk at the utter bluntness of his friend. He turns his gaze at the bright-haired beauty before an infamous scowl plasters onto his face.

Inoue Orihime.

She is a fellow student and a distant friend of Ichigo's. Yet, the two have never engaged in a full conversation with one another, only when he is greeted by her in the mornings. She is normally by herself whenever Tatsuki is absent in her presence, the only person she considers to open up to. Some say she despises for anyone to get close to her because of her family's death by a burglar that occurred a couple of years back.

"Hey, Ichigo!" Keigo shouts, flailing his arms in front of Ichigo's face. Next to Keigo were three other students that Ichigo considered close to him: Kojima Mizuiro, Yasutora Sado, and Ishida Uryuu. "Aren't you going to head to class?"

The substitute Shinigami smirks before throwing his bag over his shoulders. "Yeah."

.

.

_"You're not the only one_  
_who's seeing things."_

.

.

"Oi, Ichigo."

Ichigo places his bag on his desk before turning around to find Arisawa Tatsuki standing before him. He tilts his head towards the side to see Orihime as well, standing calmly, quietly behind her. Orihime glances upwards to see Ichigo staring at her. She blinks her wide, russet-colored eyes before a bright smile spreads on her thin lips. Ichigo is taken aback from her actions, yet flashes a grin in return.

"It's too bad that I couldn't catch you this morning. You were late, as always," she scoffs, as her eyes narrowed. "Say, you said you came from your trip early, ne? I came by your house, but you were never there. What's up?" Before she waits for his answer, her eyes shift downward before she changes to a different subject.

"Oi," Tatsuki utters, grabbing his attention, pointing towards Ichigo's midsection. He glances down, following her fingers to the charm that is wrapped around his belt. "What's that?"

"Oh, this?" Ichigo asks, casually lifting the charm his father gave him for his trip to the Soul Society. "It's just a charm."

Tatsuki vigorously shakes her head. "No, I mean that skull thing. What is it?"

Orihime pokes her head past Tatsuki to get a better glance, tilting her head in curiosity once she spots the mysterious object as well. Bewildered, Ichigo glances at the two with a blank face. His stance shifts down before he notices his substitute Shinigami combat pass. As a result, he quickly thinks of an excuse and opens his mouth. Yet, nothing escapes when he realizes something.

No normal humans should be able to see it.

"Wait," Ichigo asks, reverting his head back towards Tatsuki. "You... can see this?"

Tatsuki raises a brow before placing her hands on her hips. "Of course, I can see it. Why'd you ask?"

Ichigo ignores her as he switches his attention to Orihime behind her. "You too, Inoue?"

A soft, keen noise escapes her lips in shock when she discovers that Ichigo is talking to her. She clears her throat as she glances at the skull badge before answering. "U-Un. Is there something wrong?"

Before Ichigo can give the two an answer, a loud noise near the classroom entrance is heard, causing heads to turn. At the classroom door was their teacher, Ochi-sensei, as she shouts loudly, "Alright, time to scurry into your seats!"

The student did as they were told and quickly scramble to their desks. As everyone sit in their seats, Ochi-sensei walks to her desk before eyeing everyone in the class.

"Wow, everyone is here!" Ochi-sensei gushes as she looks around the classroom. Yet, her smile immediately slips off her face when she finds two empty seats near the back of the classroom. "Well, except for Ooshima and Sorimachi, but they're bad students so they don't count anyways." She brushes the statement off before her smile returns to her face. "Today, I have fantastic news for everyone: we have a new transfer student!"

A couple of whispers and murmurs spread throughout the room. While everyone gossips about the transfer student, Ichigo stares at the badge in his hands and ponders about how Tatsuki and Orihime were able to see it.

_Is it broken?_ he thinks as Ukitake Jushiro's speech comes to mind. Suddenly, the badge in his hands shrills and screams and shouts, only alarming Ichigo. Ochi-sensei, as well as the other students, were caught by his attention.

"What's wrong, Kurosaki?" Ochi-sensei questions, raising a brow.

"Uh... Nothing, just a stomach ache," he answers quickly, nervously, as he rubs the back of his head while slightly chuckling. He immediately shoots up from his seat before running towards the classroom door. "I have to go to the bathroom. Bye!"

"Bathroom? Already!?" Ochi-sensei questions loudly, furrowing her brow, yet Ichigo wasn't in the room to hear her.

On the other side of the room, Orihime narrows her eyes and looks down at her desk, fidgeting with her fingers. She frowns; she begins to become suspicious of Ichigo's sudden actions. It seems that Ichigo was off to go somewhere in a hurry.

Again.

.

.

_"The ghouls and the monsters_  
_come out at night."_

_._

_._

"Noooooo! I can't take it anymore~!"

Ichigo groans before sitting up on his bed, eyeing the stuffed-animal who kicked and punched and shouted on his bedroom floor.

"I wanna go out! I wanna meet other people! I wanna have intimate contact with girls' soft, smooth skin~! Dammit, Ichigo, if you keep locking me up in this room, I'll sue you for stuffed-animal abuse! I'll sue you to hell!"

"Damn, you're annoying. Shut the hell up before you wake everybody in the house."

The plush toy loudly huffs before turning around, his back facing Ichigo. "I bet if Nee-san was still here, I wouldn't be locked up like this!" Kon whimpers before falling to his knees. "Nee-san, come baaack~!"

Ichigo sighs at the animate object before placing the manga he was reading on top his bed. As he did this, his badge begins the scream again, yet the noise no longer bothers him as much. Ichigo scowls before grabbing the badge and presses it against his body. His Shinigami form suddenly pops out of his body, leaving it to fall limply onto the bed. Ichigo repeats these actions with Kon, resulting for the gikongan to exit the stuffed-animal and enter Ichigo's body.

Ichigo climbs out the window and onto the roof of the house. Before he leaves, he turns to face Kon, yelling a warning in advance, "Don't do anything stupid, you hear?"

"Of course, take your time!" Kon shouts, grinning widely, smugly as he waves goodbye.

Ichigo emits a deep breath before vanishing into the dark blanket of night.

.

.

_"Now, you see me._  
_Now, you don't."_

_._

_._

"Huh?" Ichigo breathes under his breath as he slowly lands onto the dark, vacant street. He shifts his head around, looking for any presence of hollows. He scratches his head as he stood there, baffled to why there wasn't any hollows around. He groans, looking down at his substitute Shinigami badge.

_It's definitely broken, _he thinks as he turns around, ready to head home. As soon as he faces the opposite direction, he is quickly in shock to see a hollow scream in a distance as it dissolves into the air. Once it completely vanishes, his gaze reverts downward to see who is responsible for demolishing the hollow, which brings him to even more shock.

Because there, in a Karakura High School uniform with a bloody sword in her hands,

was Inoue Orihime.

.

.

**to be continued.**

* * *

**—e/n: **(1) shugosha means 'protector/hunter' in japanese.

i know, i know. the story is a bit confusing so i'll try my best to explain everything. first, the story takes place during the first arrancar arc, around ch. 183/ep. 110. everything goes as the manga/anime, only orihime isn't involved, due to her nonexistent shun shun rikka in this fanfic. instead, she wields her brother's sword (shugosha) and protects people who are in danger (i.e. souls from hollows). also note that she is not a shinigami and is somewhat considered a 'threat' to the soul society. (^_^)

phew! what a mouthful. hopefully that gave you guys a better explanation of the scenario.（＾ω＾）

-audrey


End file.
